2 cl  Session,  J 


Executive 

B. 


LIBRARY  A.  B.  C.  F. 

HESS AGE 

FROM  THE  ' / 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 


A general  act , signed  at  Brussels , July  2,  1890,  by  the  Plenipotentiaries  of 
the  United  States,  and  other  Poicers,  for  the  suppression  of  the  African 

slave  trade,  etc. 


January  29,  1691. — Read  ; General  Act  read  the  first  time  and  referred  to  the  Com- 
mittee on  Foreign  Relations,  and,  together  with  the  message  and  accompanying- 
papers,  ordered  to  be  printed  in  confidence  for  the  use  of  the  Senate. 


To  the  Senate : 

I transmit  with  a view  to  its  ratification  a General  Act  signed  at 
Brussels  on  July  2 last  by  the  Plenipotentiaries  of  the  United  States 
and  other  Powers,  for  the  repression  of  the  African  slave  trade,  and 
the  restriction  of  the  importation  into,  and  sale  in,  a certain  defined 
zone  of  the  African  continent,  of  firearms,  ammunition  and  spirituous 
liquors. 

I also  enclose  a report  from  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  call  attention 
to  the  importance  of  early  action  on  the  Act. 

Benj.  Harrison. 

Executive  Mansion, 

Washington,  January  29,  1891. 


To  the  President: 

I have  the  honor  to  submit  for  transmission  to  the  Senate,  if  deemed 
proper,  a general  act  signed  at  Brussels  on  July  2 last  by  the  plenipo- 
tentiaries of  the  United  States  and  other  powers  for  the  repression  of 
the  African  slave  trade  and  the  restriction  of  the  importation  into,  and 
sale  in,  a certain  defined  zone  of  the  African  continent,  of  firearms, 
ammunitions,  and  spirituous  liquors. 

As  the  act  provides  in  article  xcix  for  the  deposit  of  the  ratifications 
thereof  at  Brussels  by  July  2 next,  it  is  very  desirable  that  the  Senate 
should  take  action  during  its  present  session. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

James  G.  Blaine. 

Department  of  State, 

Washington,  January  29,  1891. 


[Translation.] 


GENERAL  ACT  OF  THE  BRUSSELS  CONFERENCE. 

In  The  Name  of  God  Almighty. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  of  America; 

His  Majesty  the  German  Emperor,  King  of  Prussia,  in  the  name 
of  the  German  Empire; 

His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  King  of  Bohemia,  &c.,  and 
Apostolic  King  of  Hungary; 

His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians; 

His  viajesty  the  King  of  Denmark; 

His  Majesty  the  King  of  Spain,  and  in  his  name  Her  Majesty  the 
Queen  Regent  of  the  Kingdom; 

Bis  Majesty  the  Sovereign  of  the  Independent  State  of  the  Congo; 
The  President  of  the  French  Republic; 

Her  Majesty  the  Queen  of  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland,  Empress  of  India; 

His  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy; 

His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Netherlands,  Graud  Duke  of  Luxem- 
burg, &c. ; 

His  Majesty  the  Shah  of  Persia; 

His  Majesty  the  King  of  Portugal  and  the  Algarves,  &c. ; 

His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  all  the  Russias; 

His  Majesty  the  King  of  Sweden  and  Norway,  &c. ; 

His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the  Ottomans;  and 
His  Highness  the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar; 

Being  equally  actuated  by  the  firm  intention  of  putting  an  an  end  to 
the  crimes  and  devastations  engendered  by  the  traffic  in  African  slaves, 
of  efficiently  protecting  the  aboriginal  population  of  Africa,  and  of 
securing  for  that  vast  continent  the  benefits  of  peace  and  civilization ; 

Wishing  to  give  fresh  sanction  to  the  decisions  already  adopted  in 
the  same  sense  and  at  different  times  by  the  powers,  to  complete  the 
results  secured  by  them,  and  to  draw  up  a body  of  measures  guarantee- 
ing the  accomplishment  of  the  work  which  is  the  object  of  their  com- 
mon solicitude ; 

Have  resolved,  in  pursuance  of  the  invitation  addressed  to  them  by 
the  Government  of  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians,  in  agreement 
with  the  Government  of  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  Empress  of  India,  to  convene  for  this  purpose  a conference  at 
Brussels,  and  have  named  as  their  plenipotentiaries  : 

The  President  of  the  United  States  of  America, 

Mr.  Edwin  H.  Terrell,  Euvoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Pleni- 
potentiary of  the  United  States  of  America  near  His  Majesty 
the  King  of  the  Belgians,  and 
Mr.  Henry  Shelton  Sanford; 

His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  King  of  Prussia,  in 
the  Name  of  the  German  Empire, 

Frederic  John,  Count  of  Alvensleben,  His  Chamberlain  and  Actual 
Privy  Councillor,  His  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Pleni- 
potentiary near  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians,  and 
Mr.  William  Goehring,  His  Privy  Councillor  of  Legation,  Consul- 
General  of  the  German  Empire  at  Amsterdam; 


3 


His  Majesty  The  Emperor  of  Austria,  King  of  Bohemia  and 
Apostolic  King  of  Hungary, 

Rodolphe Count  Khevenliiiller-Metsch,  His  Chamberlain,  His  Envoy 
Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  near  his  Majesty 
the  King  of  the  Belgians, 

His  Majesty"  the  King  of  the  Belgians, 

Auguste  Baron  Lambermout,  His  Minister  of  State,  His  Envoy 
Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary,  and 
M.  Emile  Banning,  Director  General  in  the  Department  of  Foreign 
Affairs  of  Belgium ; 

His  Majesty"  the  King  of  Denmark, 

Mr.  Frederic-George  Schack  de  Brockdorff,  Consul  General  of  Den- 
mark at  Antwerp ; 

His  Majesty"  the  King  of  Spain,  and  in  His  Name  Her  Maj- 
esty the  Queen  Regent  of  the  Kingdom, 

Don  Jose  Gutierrez  de  Agiiera,  His  Envoy  Extraordinary  and 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  near  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Bel- 
gians; 

His  Majesty"  the  Sovereign-King  of  the  Independent  State 
of  the  Congo. 

Mr.  Edmund  Van  Eetvelde,  Administrator-General  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Foreign  Affairs  of  the  Independent  State  of  the  Congo 
and, 

Mr.  Auguste  Van  Maldeghem,  Councillor  in  the  Belgian  Court  of 
Cassation ; 

The  President  of  the  French  Repl-blic, 

M.  Albert  Bouree,  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipoten- 
tiary of  the  French  Republic  near  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the 
Belgians,  and 

M.  George  Cogordan,  Minister  Plenipotentiary,  Director  of  the 
Office  of  the  Minister  of  Foreign  (Affairs  of  France ; 

Her  Majesty"  the  Queen  of  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland,  Empress  of  India, 

Lord  Vivian,  Peer  of  the  United  Kingdom,  Her  Envoy  Extraor- 
dinary ami  Minister  Plenipotentiary  near  His  Majesty  the  King 
of  the  Belgians,  and 
Sir  John  Kirk ; 

His  Majesty-  the  King  of  Italy", 

‘ Francis  de  Renzis,  Baron  of  Montanaro,  His  Envoy  Extraordinary 
and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  near  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the 
Belgians,  and 

Mr.  Thomas  Catalani,  His  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister 
Plenipotentiary; 

His  Majesty-  the  King  of  the  Netherlands,  Grand  Duke  of 
Luxemburg, 

Louis  Baron  Gericke  de  Herwynen,  His  Envoy  Extraordinary  and 
Minister  Plenipotentiary  near  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Bel- 
gians; 

His  Imperial  Majesty'  the  Shah  of  Persia, 

General  Nazare  Aga,  His  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plen- 
ipotentiary near  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians; 

His  Majesty"  the  King  of  Portugal  and  of  the  Algarves, 
Mr.  Henrique  de  Macedo  Pereira  Coutinho,  Member  of  His  Coun- 
cil, Peer  of  the  Kingdom,  Minister  and  Honorary  Secretary  of 
State,  His  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary 
near  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians ; 


4 


His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  all  the  Russlas, 

Leon  Prince  Ouroussoff,  Master  of  His  Court,  His  Envoy  Extraor- 
dinary and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  near  His  Majesty  tlie  King 
of  the  Belgians,  and 

Mr.  Frederic  de  Martens,  His  Actual  Councillor  of  State,  Perma- 
nent Member  of  the  Council  of  Foreign  Affairs  of  Russia  ; 

His  Majesty  the  King  of  Sweden  and  Norway, 

Mr.  Charles  de  Burenstam,  His  Chamberlain,  His  Minister  Plen- 
ipotentiary near  His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians  and  near 
His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Netherlands; 

His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the  Ottomans, 

Etienne  Caratheodory  Efendi,  High  Dignitary  of  His  Empire, 
His  Envoy  Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  near  His 
Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians; 

His  Highness  the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar, 

Sir  John  Kirk,  and 
Mr.  William  Goehring; 

Who,  being  furnished  with  full  powers,  which  have  been  fouud  to  be 
in  good  and  due  form,  have  adopted  the  following  provisions: 

1 Chapter  I.  Slave-trade  countries. — Measures  to  be  taken,  in  the 

2 places  of  origin. 

3 Article  I. 


4.  \\  The  powers  declare  that  the  most  effective  means  of  counteract- 
5 iug  the  slave-trade  in  the  interior  of  Africa  are  the  following : 

G 1.  Progressive  organization  of  the  administrative,  judicial,  relig- 

7 ious,  and  military  services  in  the  African  territories  placed  under 

8 the  sovereignty  or  protectorate  of  civilized  nations. 

9 2.  The  gradual  establishment  in  the  interior,  by  the  powers  to 

10  which  the  territories  are  subject,  of  strongly  occupied  stations,  in 

11  such  a way  as  to  make  their  protective  or  repressive  action  effect- 

12  ively  felt  in  the  territories  devastated  by  slave-hunting. 

13  3.  The  construction  of  roads,  and  in  particular  of  railways,  con- 

14  uectiug  the  advanced  stations  with  the  coast,  and  permitting  easy 

15  access  to  the  inland  waters,  and  to  such  of  the  upper  courses  of  the 
10  rivers  and  streams  as  are  broken  by  rapids  and  cataracts,  with  a 

17  view  to  substituting  economical  and  rapid  means  of  transportation 

18  for  the  present  system  of  carriage  by  men. 

19  4.  Establishment  of  steam-boats  on  the  inland  navigable  waters 

20  and  on  the  lakes,  supported  by  fortified  posts  established  on  the 

21  banks. 

22  5.  Establishment  of  telegraphic  lines,  insuring  the  communication 

23  of  the  posts  and  stations  with  the  coast  and  with  the  administra- 

24  tive  centres.  . 


f 

26 

2f 

28 

20 

30 

31 

f 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

3S 

39 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

45 

46 

47 

48 

49 

50 

51 

52 

53 

54 

55 

56 

57 

58 

59 

60 

61 


5 


6.  Organization  of  expeditions  and  Hying  columns,  to  keep  up 
the  communication  of  the  stations  with  each  other  and  with  the 
coast,  to  support  repressive  action,  and  to  insure  the  security  of 
high  roads. 

7.  Restriction  of  the  importation  of  fire-arms,  at  least  of  those  of 
modern  pattern,  and  of  ammunition  throughout  the  entire  extent  of 
the  territory  in  which  the  slave-trade  is  carried  on.  'y 

Article  II. 

The  stations,  the  iuland  cruisers  organized  by  each  power  in  its 
waters,  and  the  posts  which  serve  as  ports  of  register  for  them  shall, 
independently  of  their  principal  task,  which  is  to  prevent  the  cap- 
ture of  slaves  and  intercept  the  routes  of  the  slave-trade,  have  the 
following  subsidiary  duties: 

1.  To  support  and,  if  necessary,  to  serve  as  a refuge  for  the  native 
population,  whether  placed  under  the  sovereignty  or  the  protect- 
orate of  the  State  to  which  the  nation  is  subject,  or  independent, 
and  temporarily  for  all  other  natives  in  case  of  imminent  danger; 
to  place  the  population  of  the  first  of  these  categories  in  a position 
to  co  operate  for  their  own  defence ; to  diminish  inland  wars  between 
tribes  by  means  of  arbitration;  to  initiate  them  in  agricultural 
labor  and  in  the  industrial  arts  so  as  to  increase  their  welfare;  to 
raise  them  to  civilization  and  bring  about  the  extinction  of  bar- 
barous customs,  such  as  cauuibalism,  and  human  sacrifices. 

2.  To  give  aid  and  protection  to  commercial  enterprises;  to  watch 
over  their  legality  by  especially  controlling  contracts  for  service 
with  natives,  and  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  foundation  of  perma- 
nent centres  of  cultivation  and  of  commercial  settlements. 

3.  To  protect,  without  distinction  of  creed,  the  missions  which 
are  already  or  that  may  hereafter  be  established. 

4.  To  provide  for  the  sanitary  service  and  to  extend  hospitality 
and  help  to  explorers  and  to  all  who  take  part  in  Africa  in  the  work 
of  repressing  the  slave-trade. 

Article  III. 

The  powers  exercising  a sovereignty  or  a protectorate  in  Africa 
confirm  and  give  precision  to  their  former  declarations,  and  en- 
gage to  proceed  gradually,  as  circumstances  may  permit,  either  by 
the  means  above  indicated,  or  by  any  other  means  that  they  ma' 


6 


62  consider  suitable,  with  the  repression  of  the  slave-trade,  each  State 

63  in  its  respective  possessions  and  under  its  own  direction.  When- 

64  ever  they  consider  it  possible  they  shall  lend  their  good  offices  to 

65  such  powers  as,  with  a purely  humanitariau  object,  may  be  engaged 

66  in  Africa  in  the  fulfilment  of  a similar  mission. 

67  Article  IV. 

68  The  States  exercising  sovereign  powers  or  protectorates  in  Africa 

69  may  in  all  cases  delegate  to  companies  provided  with  charters  all 

70  or  a portion  of  the  engagements  which  they  assume  in  virtue  of 

71  Article  III.  They  remain,  nevertheless,  directly  responsible  for 

72  the  engagements  which  they  contract  by  the  present  act,  and 

73  guarantee  the  execution  thereof.  The  powers  promise  to  encour- 

74  age,  aid  and  protect  such  national  associations  and  enterprises  due 

75  to  private  initiative  as  may  wish  to  cooperate  in  their  possessions 

76  in  the  repression  of  the  slave-trade,  subject  to  their  receiving 

77  previous  authorization,  such  authorization  being  revocable  at  any 

78  time,  subject  also  to  their  being  directed  and  controlled,  and  to  the 

79  exclusion  of  the  exercise  of  rights  of  sovereignty. 

80  Article  V. 

81  The  contracting  powers  pledge  themselves,  unless  this  has  already 

82  been  provided  for  by  laws  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the 

83  present  article,  to  enact  or  propose  to  their  respective  legislative 

84  bodies  in  the  course  of  one  year  at  the  latest  from  the  date  of  the 

85  signing  of  the  present  general  act  a law  rendering  applicable  on 

86  the  one  hand,  the  provisions  of  their  penal  laws  concerning  grave 

87  offenses  against  the  person,  to  the  organizers  and  abettors  of  slave- 

88  hunting,  to  those  guilty  of  mutilating  adults  and  male  infants,  and 

89  to  all  persons  taking  part  iu  the  capture  of  slaves  by  violence;  and, 

90  on  the  other  hand,  the  provisions  relating  to  offenses  against  iudi- 

91  vidual  liberty,  to  carriers  and  transporters  of,  and  to  dealers  in, 

92  slaves. 

93  The  accessories  and  accomplices  of  the  different  categories  of  slave 

94  captors  and  dealers  above  specified  shall  be  punished  with  penal- 

95  ties  proportionate  to  those  incurred  by  the  principals. 

^ Guilty  persons  who  may  have  escaped  from  the  jurisdiction  of 
\the  authorities  of  the  country  where  the  crimes  or  offenses  have 
\ii  committed  shall  be  arrested  either  on  communication  of  the 
>iinating  evidence  by  the  authorities  who  have  ascertained  the 


7 


100  violation  of  the  law,  or  on  production  of  any  other  proof  of  guilt  by 

101  the  power  in  whose  territory  they  may  have  been  discovered,  and 

102  shall  be  kept,  without  other  formality,  at  the  disposal  of  the  tri- 

103  bunals  competent  to  try  them. 

101  The  powers  shall  communicate  to  each  other,  with  the  least 
105  possible  delay,  the  laws  or  decrees  existing  or  promulgated  in  ex- 
100  ecution  of  the  present  Article. 

107  Article  YI. 

108  Slaves  liberated  in  consequence  of  the  stoppage  or  dispersion 

109  of  a convoy  in  the  interior  of  the  continent,  shall  be  sent  back,  if 

110  circumstances  permit,  to  their  country  of  origin;  if  not,  the  local 

111  authorities  shall  facilitate,  as  much  as  possible,  their  means  of 

112  living,  and  if  they  desire  it,  help  them  to  settle  on  the  spot. 

113  Article  VII. 

114  Any  fugitive  slave  claiming,  on  the  continent,  the  protection  of 

115  the  signatory  powers,  shall  receive  it,  and  shall  be  received  in 

116  the  camps  and  stations  officially  established  by  said  powers,  or  on 

117  board  of  the  vessels  of  the  State  plying  on  the  lakes  and  rivers. 

118  Private  stations  and  boats  are  only  permitted  to  exercise  the  right 

119  of  asylum  subject  to  the  previous  conseut  of  the  State. 

120  Article  VIII. 

121  The  experience  of  all  nations  that  have  intercourse  with  Africa 

122  having  shown  the  pernicious  and  preponderating  part  played  by 

123  fire-arms  in  operations  connected  with  the  slave-trade  as  well  as 

124  internal  wars  between  the  native  tribes;  and  this  same  experience 

125  -having  clearly  proved  that  the  preservation  of  the  African  popu- 

126  latiou  whose  existence  is  the  express  wish  of  the  powers  to  pro- 

127  tect,  is  a radical  impossibility,  if  measures  restricting  the  trade 

128  in  fire-arms  and  ammunition  are  not  adopted,  the  powers  decide, 

129  so  far  as  the  present  state  of  their  frontiers  permits,  that  the  im- 

130  portation  of  fire-arms,  and  especially  of  rifles  and  improved  weap- 

131  ous,  as  well  as  of  powder,  ball  and  cartridges,  is,  except  in  the 

132  cases  and  under  the  conditions  provided  for  in  the  following 

133  Article,  prohibited  in  the  territories  comprised  between  the  20th 

134  parallel  of  Xorth  latitude  and  the  22d  parallel  of  South  latitude, 

135  aud  extending  westward  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  eastward  to 


136 

137 

138 

139 

140 

141 

142 

143 

144 

145 

146 

147 

148 

149 

150 

151 

152 

153 

154 

155 

156 

157 

158 

159 

160 

161 

162 

163 

164 

165 

166 

167 

168 

169 

170 

171 

172 

173 


8 


the  Indian  Ocean  and  its  dependencies,  including  the  islands 
adjacent  to  the  coast  within  100  nautical  miles  from  the  shore. 

Article  IX. 

The  introduction  of  fire-arms  and  ammunition,  when  there  shall 
be  occasion  to  authorize  it  in  the  possessions  of  the  signatory 
powers  that  exercise  rights  of  sovereignty  or  of  protectorate  in 
Africa,  shall  be  regulated,  unless  identical  or  stricter  regulations 
have  already  been  enforced,  in  the  following  manner  in  the  zone 
defined  in  Article  VIII : 

All  imported  fire  arms  shall  be  deposited,  at  the  cost,  risk  and 
peril  of  the  importers  in  a public  warehouse  under  the  supervi- 
sion of  the  State  government.  No  withdrawal  of  fire-arms  or  im- 
ported ammunition  shall  take  place  from  such  warehouses  with- 
out the  previous  authorization  of  the  said  government.  This 
authorization  shall,  except  in  the  cases  hereinafter  specified,  be 
refused  for  the  withdrawal  of  all  arms  for  accurate  firing,  such  as 
rifles,  magazine-guns,  or  breech-loaders,  whether  whole  or  in  de- 
tached pieces,  their  cartridges,  caps,  orother  ammunition  intended 
for  them. 

In  seaports  and  under  conditions  affording  the  needful  guaran- 
tees, the  respective  governments  may  permit  private  warehouses, 
but  only  for  ordinary  powder  and  for  flint-lock  muskets,  and  to 
the  exclusion  of  improved  arms  and  ammunition  therefor. 

Independently  of  the  measures  directly  taken  by  governments  for 
the  arming  of  the  public  force  and  the  organization  of  their  defence, 
individual  exceptions  may  be  allowed  in  the  case  of  persons  fur- 
nishing sufficient  guarantees  that  the  weapon  and  ammunition 
delivered  to  them  shall  not  be  given,  assigned  or  sold  to  third 
parties,  and  for  travelers  provided  with  a declaration  of  their 
government  stating  that  the  weapon  and  ammunition  are  intended 
for  their  personal  defence  exclusively. 

All  arms,  in  the  cases  provided  for  in  the  preceding  paragraph, 
shall  be  registered  and  marked  by  the  supervising  authorities, 
who  shall  deliver  to  the  person  in  question  permits  to  bear  arms, 
stating  the  name  of  the  bearer  and  showing  the  stamp  with  which 
the  weapon  is  marked.  These  permits  shall  be  revocable  in  case 
proof  is  furnished  that  they  have  beeu  improperly  used,  aud  shall 
be  issued  for  five  years  only,  but  may  be  renewed. 


9 


174 

175 
jj/  170 

177 

178 

179 

180 
181 
182 
183 


Tbe  aboverule  as  to  ware-housiug  shall  also  apply  to  gunpowder. 

Only  flint  lock  guns,  with  unrifled  barrels,  and  common  gun- 
powder known  as  trade  powder,  may  Joe  withdrawn  from  the  ware- 
houses for  sale.  At  each  withdrawal  of  arms  and  ammunition  of 
this  kind  for  sale,  the  local  authorities  shall  determine  the  regions 
in  which  such  arms  and  ammunition  may  be  sold.  The  regions 
in  which  the  slave-trade  is  carried  on  shall  always  be  excluded. 
Persons  authorized  to  take  arms  or  powder  out  of  the  public  ware- 
houses, shall  present  to  the  State  government,  every  six  months, 
detailed  lists  indicating  the  destinations  of  the  arms  and  powder 
sold,  as  well  as  the  quantities  still  remaining  in  the  ware-houses. 


1S5  Article  X. 

18G  The  Governments  shall  take  all  such  measures  as  they  may 

187  deem  necessary  to  insure  as  complete  a fulfilment  as  possible  of 

188  the  provisions  respecting  the  importation,  sale  and  transportation 

189  of  fire-arms  and  ammunition,  as  well  as  to  prevent  either  the  entry 

190  or  exit  thereof  via  their  inland  frontiers,  or  the  passage  thereof  to 

191  regions  where  the  slave-trade  is  rife. 

192  The  authorization  of  transit  within  the  limits  of  the  zone  speci- 

193  fled  in  Article  VIII,  shall  not  be  withheld  when  the  arms  and  am- 

194  munition  are  to  pass  across  the  territory  of  a signatory  or  adherent 

195  power  occupying  the  coast,  towards  inland  territories  under  the 

196  sovereignty  or  protectorate  of  another  signator  y or  adherent  power, 

197  unless  this  latter  power  have  direct  access  to  the  sea  through  its 

198  own  territory.  If  this  access  be  wholly  interrupted,  the  authoriza- 

199  tion  of  transit  can  not  be  withheld.  Any  application  for  transit 

200  must  be  accompanied  by  a declaration  emanating  trom  the  gov- 

201  e'rument  of  the  power  having  the  inland  possessions,  and  certify  - 

202  ing  that  the  said  arms  and  ammunition  are  not  intended  for  sale, 

203  but  are  for  the  use  of  the  authorities  of  such  power,  or  of  the 

204  military  forces  necessary  for  the  protection  of  the  missionary  or 

205  commercial  stations,  or  of  persons  mentioned  by  name  in  the 

206  declaration.  Nevertheless,  tbe  territorial  power  of  the  coast  re- 

207  tains  the  right  to  stop,  exceptionally  and  provisionally,  the  transit 

208  of  improved  arms  and  ammunition  across  its  territory,  if,  in  con- 

209  sequence  of  inland  disturbances  or  other  serious  danger,  there  is. 

210  ground  for  fearing  lest  the  despatch  of  arms  and  ammunition  may 

211  compromise  its  own  safety. 


213 

214 

215 

216 

217 

218 

219 

220 

221 

222 

223 

224 

225 

226 

227 

228 

229 

230 

231 

232 

233 

234 

235 

236 

237 

238 

239 

240 

241 

242 

243 

244 

245 


10 


Article  XI. 

The  powers  shall  communicate  to  each  other  information  re- 
lating to  the  traffic  in  fire-arms  and  ammunition,  the  permits 
granted,  and  the  measures  of  repression  in  force  in  their  respective 
territories. 

Article  XII. 

The  powers  engage  to  adopt  or  to  propose  to  their  respective 
legislative  bodies  the  measures  necessary  everywhere  to  secure 
the  punishment  of  infringers  of  the  prohibitions  contained  in  Arti- 
cles VIII  and  IX,  and  that  of  their  accomplices,  besides  the  seiz- 
ure and  confiscation  of  the  prohibited  arms  and  ammunition,  either 
by  fine  or  imprisonment,  or  by  both  of  these  penalties  in  propor- 
tion to  the  importance  of  the  infraction  and  in  accordance  with 
the  gravity  of  each  case. 

Article  XIII. 

The  signatory  powers  that  have  possessions  in  Africa  in  contact 
with  the  zone  specified  in  Article  VIII,  bind  themselves  to  take 
the  necessary  measures  for  preventing  the  introduction  of  fire- 
arms and  ammunition  across  their  inland  frontiers  into  the  regions 
of  said  zone,  at  least  that  of  improved  arms  and  cartridges. 

Article  XIV. 

The  system  stipulated  in  Articles  VIII  to  XIII,  shall  remain 
in  force  for  twelve  years.  In  case  none  of  the  contracting  parties 
shall  have  given  notice,  twelve  months  before  the  expiration  of 
this  period,  of  its  intention  to  put  an  end  to  it,  or  shall  have  de- 
manded its  revision,  it  shall  remain  obligatory  for  two  years  longer? 
and  shall  thus  continue  in  force  from  two  years  to  two  years. 

Chapter  II.  Caravan  Routes  and  Transportation  of  Slaves  by 

land. 

Article  XV. 

Independently  of  the  repressive  or  protective  action  which  they 
exercise  in  the  centres  of  the  slave-trade,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of 
the  stations,  cruisers  and  posts,  whose  establishment  is  provided 
for  in  Article  II,  and  of  all  other  stations  established  or  recognized 


V - 


246  by  Article  IV,  by  each  government  in  its  possessions,  to  watch, 

247  so  far  as  circumstances  shall  permit,  and  in  proportion  to  the 

248  progress  of  their  administrative  organization,  the  roads  traveled 

249  in  their  territory  by  slave-dealers,  to  stop  convoys  on  their  march, 

250  or  to  pursue  them  wherever  their  action  can  be  legally  exercised- 


251 

252 

253 

254 

255 

256 

257 


Article  XVI. 

«jlv-  £/V ' 

In  the  regions  of  the  coast  known  to  serve  habitually  as  places 
of  passage  or  terminal  points  for  slave-traffic  coming  from  the  in- 
terior, as  well  as  at  the  points  of  intersection  of  the  principal  cara- 
van routes  crossing  the  zone  contiguous  to  the  coast  already  subject 
to  the  control  of  the  sovereign  or  protective  powers,  posts  shall  be 
established  under  the  conditions  and  with  the  reservations  men- 


258  tioned  in  Article  III,  by  the  authorities  to  which  the  territories 
269  are  subject,  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  the  convoys  and  liber- 
260  ating  the  slaves. 


261 


Article  XVII. 


262  A strict  watch  shall  be  organized  by  the  local  authorities  at  the 

263  ports  and  places  near  the  coast,  with  a view  to  preventing  the 

264  sale  and  shipment  of  slaves  brought  from  the  interior,  as  well  as 

265  the  formation  and  departure  landwards  of  bands  of  slave-hunters 

266  and  dealers. 

267  Caravans  arriving  at  the  coast  or  in  its  vicinity,  as  well  as  those 

268  arriving  in  the  interior  at  a locality  occupied  by  the  territorial 

269  power,  shall,  on  their  arrival,  be  subjected  to  a minute  inspection 

270  as  to  the  persons  composing  them.  Any  such  person  being  ascer- 

271  tained  to  have  been  captured  or  carried  off  by  force,  or  mutilated, 

272  either  in  his  native  place  or  on  the  way,  shall  be  set  free. 

273  Article  XVIII. 

274  In  the  possessions  of  each  of  the  contracting  powers,  it  shall  be 

275  | the  duty  of  the  government  to  protect  liberated  slaves,  to  return 

276  them,  if  possible,  to  their  country,  to  procure  means  of  subsistence 

277  for  them,  and,  in  particular,  to  take  charge  of  the  education  and 

278  subsequent  employment  of  abandoned  children.  , 

279  Article  XIX. 

280  The  penal  arrangements  provided  for  by  Article  V,  shall  be  ap- 

281  plicable  to  all  offences  committed  in  the  course  of  operations  con- 


12 


2S2  nected  with  the  transportion  of  and  traffic  in  slaves  on  laud  when- 

283  ever  such  offences  may  be  ascertained  to  have  been  committed. 

284  Any  person  having  incurred  a penalty  in  consequence  of  an 

285  offence  provided  for  by  the  present  general  act,  shall  incur  the 
28G  obligation  of  furnishing  security  before  being  able  to  eugage  in 

287  any  commercial  transaction  in  countries  where  the  slave-trade  is 

288  carried  on. 

289  Chapter  III.  Repression  of  the  Slave-trade  by  Sea. 

290  Section  I.  General  provisions. 

291  Article  XX. 

292  The  signatory  powers  recognize  the  desirability  of  taking  steps 

293  in  common  for  the  more  effective  repression  of  the  slave-trade  in 

294  the  maritime  zone  in  which  it  still  exists. 

295  Article  XXI. 

29G  This  zone  extends,  on  the  one  hand,  between  the  coasts  of  the 

297  Indian  Ocean  (those  of  the  Persian  Gulf  and  of  the  Red  Sea  in- 

298  eluded),  from  Beloochistan  to  Cape  Taugalane  (Quilimane) ; and, 

299  on  the  other  hand,  a conventional  line  which  first  follows  the 

300  meridian  from  Taugalane  till  it  intersects  the  26th  degree  of  South 

301  latitude;  it  is  then  merged  in  this  parallel,  then  passes  round  the 

302  Island  of  Madagascar  by  the  east,  keeping  20  miles  off  the  east 

303  and  north  shore,  till  it  intersects  the  meridian  at  Cape  Ambre. 

304  From  this  point  the  limit  of  the  zone  is  determined  by  an  oblique 

305  line,  which  extends  to  the  coast  of  Beloochistan,  passing  20  miles 
30G  oft'  Cape  Ras-el-Had. 

307  Article  XXII. 

308  The  signatory  powers  of  the  present  general  act, — among  whom 

309  exists  special  conventions  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave-trade, 

310  have  agreed  to  restrict  the  clauses  of  those  conventions  concern - 

311  ing  the  reciprocal  right  of  visit,  of  search  and  of  seizure  of  vessels 

312  at  sea  in  the  above  mentioned  zone. 

313  Article  XXIII. 

314  The  same  powers  also  agree  to  limit  the  above  mentioned  rights 

315  to  vessels  whose  tonnage  is  less  than  500  tons.  This  stipulation 


33 


316  shall  be  revised  as  soon  as  experience  shall  have  shown  the 

317  necessity  thereof. 

318  Article  XXIY. 

319  All  other  provisions  of  the  convention  concluded  for  the  sup- 

320  pression  of  the  slave-trade  between  the  aforesaid  powers,  shall 

321  remain  in  force  provided  they  are  not  modified  by  the  present 

322  general  act. 

323  Article  XXV. 

324  The  signatory  powers  engage  to  adopt  efficient  measures  to  p re- 

325  vent  the  unlawful  use  of  their  flag,  and  to  prevent  the  transpor- 

326  tation  of  slaves  on  vessels  authorized  to  fly  their  colors. 


327 


328 


329 

330 

331 


338 

339 

340 

341 

342 

343 


Article  XXVI. 

The  signatory  powers  engage  to  adopt  all  measures  necessary  to 
facilitate  the  speedy  exchange  of  information  calculated  to  lead 
to  the  discovery  of  persons  taking  part  in  operations  connected 
with  the  slave-trade. 


Article  XXVII. 

At  least  one  international  bureau  shall  be  created  ; it  shall  be 
established  at  Zanzibar.  The  high  contracting  parties  engage  to 
forward  to  it  all  the  documents  specified  in  Article  XLI,  as  well 
as  all  information  of  any  kind  likely  to  assist  in  the  suppression 
of  the  slave-trade. 

Article  XXVIII. 

Any  slave  who  has  taken  refuge  on  board  a ship  of  war  bear- 
ing the  flag  of  one  of  the  signatory  powers,  shall  be  immediately 
and  definitively  set  free.  Such  freedom,  however,  shall  not  with- 
draw him  from  the  competent  jurisdiction  if  he  has  been  gulity 
of  any  crime  or  offence  at  common  law. 


344  Article  XXIX. 

345  Any  slave  detained  against  his  will  on  board  of  a native  vessel 

346  shall  have  the  right  to  demand  his  liberty.  His  release  may  be 

347  ordered  by  any  agent  of  any  of  the  signatory  powers  on  whom  the 

348  present  general  act  confers  the  right  of  ascertaining  the  status  of 


349 

350 

351 

352 

353 

354 

355 

35G 

357 

358 

359 

360 

301 

362 

363 

364 

365 

366 

367 

368 

369 

370 

371 

372 

373 

374 

375 

376 

377 

378 

379 

380 

3S1 

382 


14 


persons  on  board  of  such  vessels,  although  such  release  shall  not 
withdraw  him  from  the  competent  jurisdiction  if  he  has  committed 
any  crime  or  offence  at  common  law. 

Section  II.  Regulation  concerning  the  use  of  the  flag  and  supervision  by  cruisers. 

1.  Rules  for  granting  the  flag  to  native  vessels, 
and  as  to  crew  lists  and  manifests  of  black 
passengers  on  board. 

Article  XXX. 

The  signatory  powers  engage  to  exercise  a strict  surveillance 
over  native  vessels  authorized  to  carry  their  flag  in  the  zone  men- 
tioned in  Article  XXI,  and  over  the  commercial  operations  car- 
ried on  by  such  vessels. 

Article  XXXI. 

The  term  u native  vessel  ” applies  to  vessels  fulfilling  one  of  the 
following  conditions : 

1.  It  shall  present  the  outward  appearance  of  native  build  or 
rigging. 

2.  It  shall  be  manned  by  a crew  of  whom  the  captain  and  the 
majority  of  the  seamen  belong  by  origin  to  one  of  the  countries  on 
the  coast  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  the  Red  Sea,  or  the  Persian  Gulf- 

Article  XXXII. 

The  authorization  to  carry  the  flag  of  one  of  the  said  powers 
shall  in  future  be  granted  only  to  such  native  vessels  as  shall 
satisfy  at  the  same  time  the  three  following  conditions : 

1.  Fitters-out  or  owners  of  ships  must  be  either  subjects  of  or 
persons  protected  by  the  power  whose  flag  they  ask  to  carry. 

2.  They  shall  be  obliged  to  prove  that  they  possess  real  estate 
situated  in  the  district  of  the  authority  to  whom  their  application 
is  addressed,  or  to  furnish  bona  fide  security  as  a guaranty  of  the 
payment  of  such  flues  as  may  be  incurred. 

3.  The  above-named  fitters-out  or  owners  of  ships,  as  well  the 
captain  of  the  vessel,  shall  prove  that  they  enjoy  a good  reputa- 
tion, and  that  in  particular  they  have  never  been  sentenced  to 
punishment  for  acts  connected  with  the  slave-trade. 


383 

384 

385 

386 

387 

388 

389 

390 

391 

392 

393 

394 

395 

396 

397 

398 

399 

400 

401 

402 

403 

404 

405 

406 

407 

408 

409 

410 

411 

412 

413 

414 

415 

416 

417 

418 


15 


Article  XXXIII. 

This  authorization  granted  shall  be  renewed  every  year.  It 
may  at  any  time  be  suspended  or  withdrawn  by  the  authorities  of 
the  power  whose  colors  the  vessel  carries. 

Article  XXXIY. 

The  act  of  authorization  shall  contain  the  statements  neces- 
sary to  establish  the  identity  of  the  vessel.  The  captain  shall 
have  the  keeping  thereof.  The  name  of  the  native  vessel  and  the 
amount  of  its  tonnage  shall  be  cut  and  painted  in  Latin  charac- 
ters on  the  stern,  and  the  initial  or  initials  of  the  name  of  the  port 
of  registry,  as  well  as  the  registration  number  in  the  series  of  the 
numbers  of  that  port,  shall  be  printed  in  black  ou  the  sails. 

Article  XXXV. 

A list  of  the  crew  shall  be  issued  to  the  captain  of  the  vessel 
at  the  port  of  departure  by  the  authorities  of  the  power  whose 
colors  it  carries.  It  shall  be  renewed  at  every  fresh  venture  of 
the  vessel,  or  at  the  latest,  at  the  end  of  a year,  and  in  accordance 
with  the  following  provisions: 

1.  The  list  shall  be  examined  at  the  departure  of  the  vessel 
by  the  authority  that  has  issued  it. 

2.  No  negro  can  be  engaged  as  a seaman  ou  a vessel  without 
having  previously  been  questioned  by  the  authority  of  the  power 
whose  colors  it  carries,  or,  in  default  thereof,  by  the  territorial 
authority,  with  a view  to  ascertaining  the  fact  of  his  having  con- 
tracted a free  engagement. 

3.  This  authority  shall  see  that  the  proportion  of  seamen  and 
boys  is  not  out  of  proportion  to  the  tonnage  or  rigging. 

4.  The  authorities  who  shall  have  questioned  the  men  before 
their  departure  shall  enter  them  ou  the  list  of  the  crew  in  which 
they  shall  be  mentioned,  with  a summary  description  of  each  of 
them  alongside  his  name. 

5.  In  order  the  more  effectively  to  prevent  any  substitution,  the 
the  seamen  may,  moreover,  be  provided  with  a distinctive  mark. 

Article  XXXVI. 

When  the  captain  of  a vessel  shall  desire  to  take  negro  passen- 
gers on  board,  he  shall  make  his  declaration  to  that  effect  to  the 


16 


419  authority  of  the  power  whose  colors  he  carries,  or  in  default 

420  thereof,  to  the  territorial  authority.  The  passengers  shall  be 

421  questioned,  and  after  it  has  been  ascertained  that  they  embarked 

422  of  their  own  free  will,  they  shall  be  entered  in  a special  manifest, 

423  bearing  the  description  of  each  of  them  alongside  of  his  name,  and 

424  specially  sex  and  height.  Negro  children  shall  not  be  taken  as 

425  passengers  unless  they  are  accompanied  by  their  relations,  or  by 
420  persons  whose  respectability  is  well  known.  At  the  departure 

427  the  passenger  roll  shall  be  visaed  by  the  aforesaid  authority  after 

428  it  has  been  called.  If  there  are  no  passengers  on  board,  this 

429  shall  be  specially  mentioned  in  the  crew-list. 

430  Article  XXXVII. 

431  At  the  arrival  at  any  port  of  call  or  of  destination,  the  captain 

432  of  the  vessel  shall  show  to  the  authority  of  the  power  whose  flag 

433  he  carries,  or,  in  default  thereof,  to  the  territorial  authority,  the 

434  crew-list,  and,  if  need  be,  the  passenger-roll  previously  delivered. 

435  The  authority  shall  check  the  passengers  who  have  reached  their 

436  destination  or  who  are  stopping  in  a port  of  call,  and  shall  men- 

437  tiou  their  landing  in  the  roll.  At  the  departure  of  the  vessel  the 

438  same  authority  shall  affix  a fresh  vise  to  the  list  and  roll,  and  call 

439  the  roll  of  the  passengers. 

i 

440  Article  XXXVIII. 

441  On  the  African  coast  and  on  the  adjacent  islands,  no  negro  pas- 

442  seugers  shall  be  taken  on  board  of  a native  vessel,  except  in  locali- 
4-^3  ties  where  there  is  a resident  authority  belonging  to  one  of  the 

444  signatory  powers. 

445  Throughout  the  extent  of  the  zone  mentioned  in  Article XXI  of 
4^0  the  preceding  act,  no  negro  passenger  shall  be  landed  from  a na- 
44V  five  vessel  except  at  a place  in  which  there  is  a resident  officer 
448^  belonging  to  one  of  the  high  contracting  powers,  and  unless  such 

449  officer  is  present  at  the  landing. 

450  Cases  of  vis  major  that  may  have  caused  an  infraction  of  these 

451  provisions  shall  be  examined  by  the  authority  of  the  power  whose 

452  colors  the  vessel  carries,  or,  in  default  thereof,  by  the  territorial 

453  authority  of  the  port  at  which  the  vessel  in  question  calls. 


454 

455 

456 

457 

458 

459 

460 

461 

462 

463 

464 

465 

466 

467 

468 

469 

470 

471 

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473 

474 

475 

476 

477 

478 

479 

480 

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486 

487 

488 

489 


17 


Article  XXXIX. 

• 

The  provisions  of  Articles  XXXV,  XXXVI,  XXXVII,  and 
XXXVIII,  are  not  applicable  to  vessels  only  partially  decked, 
having  a crew  not  exceeding  ten  men,  and  fulfilling  one  of  the 
two  following  conditions: 

1.  That  it  be  exclusively  used  for  fishing  within  the  territorial 
waters. 

2.  That  it  be  occupied  in  the  petty  coasting  trade  between  the 
different  ports  of  the  same  territorial  power,  without  going  further 
than  5 miles  from  the  coast. 

These  different  boats  shall  receive,  as  the  case  may  be,  a special 
license  from  the  territorial  or  consular  authority,  which  shall  be 
renewed  every  year,  and  subject  to  revocation  as  provided  in 
Article  XL,  the  uniform  model  of  which  license  is  annexed  to  the 
present  general  act  and  shall  be  communicated  to  the  interna- 
tional information  office. 

Article  XL. 

Any  act  or  attempted  act  connected  with  the  slave-trade  that 
can  be  legally  shown  to  have  been  committed  by  the  captain, 
fitter-out,  or  owner  of  a ship  authorized  to  carry  the  flag  of  one 
of  the  signatory  powers,  or  having  procured  the  license  provided 
for  in  Article  XXXIX,  shall  entail  the  immediate  withdrawal  of 
the  said  authorization  or  liceuse.  All  violations  of  the  provisions 
of  paragraph  2 of  Chapter  III  shall  render  the  person  guilty 
thereof  liable  to  the  penalties  provided  by  the  special  laws  and 
ordinances  of  each  of  the  contracting  powers. 

Article  XL I. 

The  signatory  powers  engage  to  deposit  at  the  international 
information  office  the  specimen  forms  of  the  following  documents: 

1.  Liceuse  to  carry  the  flag; 

2.  The  crew-list ; 

3.  The  negro  passenger  list. 

These  documents,  the  tenor  of  which  may  vary  according  to 
the  different  regulations  of  each  country,  shall  necessarily  contain 
the  following  particulars,  drawn  up  in  one  of  the  European 
languages : 

Ex.  B 2 


18 


\ 


490  1.  As  regards  the  authorization  to  carry  the  flag: 

491  (a)  The  name,  tonnage,  rig,  and  the  principal  dimensions 

492  of  the  vessel; 

493  ( b ) The  register  number  and  the  signal  letter  of  the  port  of 

494  registry ; 

495  (c)  The  date  of  obtaining  the  license,  and  the  office  held  by 

496  the  person  who  has  issued  it; 

497  2.  As  regards  the  list  of  the  crew: 

498  (a)  The  name  of  the  vessel,  of  the  captain,  and  of  the  fitter- 

499  out  or  owner; 

500  (b)  The  tonnage  of  the  vessel; 

501  (c)  The  register  number  and  the  port  of  registry,  its  desti- 

502  nation,  as  well  as  the  particulars  specified  in  Article 

503  XXV. 

504  3.  As  regards  the  list  of  negro  passengers: 

505  The  name  of  the  vessel  which  conveys  them,  and  the  particulars 

506  indicated  in  Article  XXXVI,  for  the  proper  identification  of  the 

507  passengers. 

SOS  The  signatory  powers  shall  take  the  necessary  measures  so  that 

509  the  territorial  authorities  or  their  consuls  may  send  to  the  same 

510  office  certified  copies  of  all  authorizations  to  carry  their  flag  as 

511  soon  as  such  authorizations  shall  have  been  granted,  as  well  as 

512  notices  of  the  withdrawal  of  any  such  authorization. 

513  The  provisions  of  the  present  article  have  reference  only  to 

514  papers  intended  for  native  vessels. 

515  2.  The  stopping  of  suspected  vessels. 

516  Article  XLII. 

517  When  the  officers  in  command  of  war-vessels  of  auy  of  the 

518  signatory  powers  have  reason  to  believe  that  a vessel  whose 

519  tonnage  is  less  than  500  tons,  and  which  is  found  navigating  in 

520  the  above-named  zone,  is  engaged  in  the  slave-trade,  or  is  guilty 

521  of  the  fraudulent  use  of  a flag,  they  may  examine  the  ship’s 

522  papers. 

523  The  present  article  does  not  imply  any  change  in  the  present 

524  state  of  things  as  regards  jurisdiction  in  territorial  waters. 


525 


Article  XLIII. 


526  To  this  end,  a boat  commanded  by  a naval  officer  in  uniform 

527  may  be  sent  on  board  of  the  suspected  vessel  after  it  has  been 

528  hailed  and  informed  of  this  intention. 


529 

530 

531 

532 

533 

534 

535 

536 

537 

538 

539 

540 

541 

542 

543 

544 

545 

546 

547 

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549 

550 

551 

552 

553 

554 

555 

556 

557 

558 

559 

560 

561 

562 

563 


19 


The  officer  sent  on  board  of  the  vessel  which  has  been  stopped 
shall  act  with  all  possible  consideration  and  moderation. 

Article  XLIY. 

The  examination  of  the  ship’s  papers  shall  consist  of  the  exam- 
ination of  the  following  documents: 

1.  As  regards  native  vessels,  the  papers  mentioned  in  Article 

XLI. 

2.  As  regards  other  vessels,  the  documents  required  by  the 
different  treaties  or  conventions  that  are  in  force. 

The  examination  of  the  ship’s  papers  only  authorizes  the  call- 
ing of  the  roll  of  the  crew  and  passengers  in  the  case  and  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  conditions  provided  for  in  the  following  article. 

Article  XLY. 

The  examination  of  the  cargo  or  the  search  can  only  take  place 
in  the  case  of  vessels  sailing  under  the  flag  of  one  of  the  powers 
that  have  concluded,  or  may  hereafter  conclude  the  special  con- 
ventions provided  for  in  Article  XXII,  and  in  accordance  with  the 
provisions  of  such  conventions. 

Article  XLYI. 

Before  leaving  the  detained  vessel,  the  officer  shall  draw  up  a 
minute  according  to  the  forms  and  in  the  language  in  use  in  the 
country  to  which  he  belongs. 

This  minute  shall  be  dated  and  signed  by  the  officer,  and  shall 
recite  the  facts. 

The  captain  of  the  detained  vessel,  as  well  as  the  witnesses, 
shall  have  the  right  to  cause  to  be  added  to  the  minutes  any  ex- 
planations they  may  think  expedient. 

Article  XLYII. 

The  commander  of  a man-of-war  who  has  detained  a vessel  un- 
der a foreign  flag  shall,  in  all  cases,  make  a report  thereof  to  his 
own  government,  and  state  the  grounds  upon  which  he  has  acted. 

Article  XLYIII. 

A summary  of  this  report,  as  well  as  a copy  of  the  minute  drawn 
up  by  the  officer  on  board  of  the  detained  vessel,  shall  be  sent,  as 
soon  as  possible,  to  the  international  information  office,  which  shall 

i 


564 

565 

566 

567 

568 

569 

570 

571 

572 

573 

574 

575 

576 

577 

578 

579 

580 

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582 

583 

584 

585 

586 

587 

588 

589 

590 

591 

592 

593 

594 

595 

596 

597 

598 


communicate  the  same  to  the  nearest  consular  or  territorial  au- 
thority of  the  power  whose  flag  the  vessel  in  question  has  shown. 
Duplicates  of  these  documents  shall  be  kept  in  the  archives  of  the 
bureau. 

Article  XLIX. 

If,  in  performing  the  acts  of  supervision  mentioned  in  the  pre- 
ceding articles,  the  officer  in  command  of  the  cruiser  is  convinced 
that  an  act  connected  with  the  slave-trade  has  been  committed  on 
board  during  the  passage,  or  that  irrefutable  proofs  exist  against 
the  captain,  or  titter-out,  for  accusing  him  of  fraudulent  use  of  the 
flag,  or  fraud,  or  participation  in  the  slave-trade,  he  shall  conduct 
the  arrested  vessel  to  the  nearest  port  of  the  zone  where  there  is 
a competent  magistrate  of  the  power  whose  flag  has  been  used. 

Each  signatory  power  engages  to  appoint  in  the  zone,  and  to 
make  known  to  the  international  information  office,  the  territorial 
or  consular  authorities  or  special  delegates  who  are  competent  in 
the  above-mentioned  cases. 

A suspected  vessel  may  also  be  turned  over  to  a cruiser  of  its 
own  nation,  if  the  latter  consents  to  take  charge  of  it. 

3.  Of  the  examination  and  trial  of  vessels  seized. 

Article  L. 

The  magistrate  referred  to  in  the  preceding  article,  to  whom  the 
arrested  vessel  has  been  turned  over,  shall  proceed  to  make  a full 
investigation,  according  to  the  laws  and  rules  of  his  country,  in 
the  presence  of  an  officer  belonging  to  a foreign  cruiser. 

Article  LI. 

If  it  is  proved  by  the  inquiry  that  the  flag  has  been  fraudulently 
used,  the  arrested  vessel  shall  remain  at  the  disposal  of  its  captor. 

Article  LII. 

If  the  examination  shows  an  act  connected  with  the  slave-trade, 
proved  by  the  presence  on  board  of  slaves  destined  for  sale,  or 
any  other  ofl'ense  connected  with  the  slave-trade  for  which  pro- 
vision is  made  by  special  convention,  the  vessel  and  cargo  shall 
remain  sequestrated  in  charge  of  the  magistrate  who  shall  have 
directed  the  inquiry. 


599 

600 

601 

602 

603 

604 

605 

606 

607 

608 

609 

610 

611 

612 

613 

614 

615 

616 

617 

61S 

619 

620 

621 

622 

623 

624 

625 

626 

627 

628 

629 

630 

631 

632 

633 

634 


21 


The  captain  and  crew  shall  be  turned  over  to  the  tribunals 
designated  by  Articles  L1Y  and  LYI.  The  slaves  shall  be  set  at 
liberty  as  soon  as  judgment  has  been  pronounced. 

In  the  cases  provided  for  by  this  article,  liberated  slaves  shall 
be  disposed  of  in  accordance  with  the  special  conventions  con- 
cluded or  to  be  concluded  between  the  signatory  powers.  In  de- 
fault of  such  conventions,  the  said  slaves  shall  be  turned  over 
to  the  local  authority,  to  be  sent  back,  if  possible,  to  their  coun- 
try or  origin  ; if  not,  this  authority  shall  facilitate  to  them,  in  so 
far  as  may  be  iu  its  power,  the  means  of  livelihood,  and,  if  they 
desire  it,  of  settling  on  the  spot. 

Article  LIII. 

If  it  shall  be  proved  by  the  inquiry  that  the  vessel  has  been 
illegally  arrested,  there  shall  be  clear  title  to  an  indemnity  in 
proportion  to  the  damages  suffered  by  the  vessels  being  taken  out 
of  its  course.  The  amount  of  this  indemnity  shall  be  fixed  by  the 
authority  that  has  directed  the  inquiry. 

Article  LIY. 

Iu  case  the  officer  of  the  capturing  vessel  does  not  accept  the 
conclusions  .of  the  inquiry  held  in  his  presence,  the  matter  shall 
be  turned  over  to  the  tribunal  of  the  nation  whose  flag  the  cap- 
tured vessel  has  borne. 

No  exception  shall  be  made  to  this  rule,  uuless  the  disagreement 
arises  in  respect  of  tfie  amount  of  the  indemnity  stipulated  in 
Article  LIII,  and  this  shall  be  fixed  by  arbitration,  as  specified  in 
the  following  article. 

Article  LY. 

The  capturiug  officer  and  the  authority  which  has  directed  the 
inquiry  shall  each  appoint  a referee  within  forty-eight  hours,  and 
the  two  arbitrators  shall  have  twenty-four  hours  to  choose  an  um- 
pire. The  arbitrators  shall,  as  far  as  possible,  be  chosen  from 
among  the  diplomatic,  cousalar,  or  judicial  officers  of  the  signa- 
natory  powers.  Natives  in  the  pay  of  the  contracting  Govern- 
ments are  formerly  excluded.  The  decision  shall  be  by  a majority 
of  votes,  and  be  considered  as  final.  If  the  court  of  arbitration  is 
not  constituted  iu  the  time  indicated,  the  procedure  in  respect  of 


22 


635  the  indemnity,  as  in  that  for  damages,  shall  be  in  accordance  with 

636  the  provisions  of  Article  LVIII,  paragraph  2. 

637  Article  LYI. 

63S  The  cases  shall  be  brought  with  the  least  possible  delay  before 

639  the  tribunal  of  the  nation  whose  flag  has  been  used  by  the  accused. 

640  However,  the  consuls  or  any  other  authority  of  the  same  nation  as 

641  the  accused,  specially  commissioned  to  this  end,  may  be  author- 

642  ized  by  their  Government  to  pronounce  judgment  instead  of  the 

643  tribunal. 

644  Article  LYI  I. 

645  The  procedure  and  trial  of  violations  of  the  provisions  of  Chap- 

646  ter  III  shall  always  be  conducted  in  as  summary  a manner  as  is 

647  permitted  by  the  laws  and  regulations  in  force  in  the  territories 
64S  subject  to  the  authority  of  the  signatory  powers. 

649  Article  LVIII. 

650  Any  decision  of  the  national  tribunal  or  authorities  referred  to 

651  in  Article  LAI,  declaring  that  the  seized  vessel  did  not  carry  on 

652  the  slave-trade,  shall  be  immediately  enforced,  and  the  vessel 

653  shall  be  at  perfect  liberty  to  continue  on  its  course. 

654  In  this  case  the  captain  or  owner  of  any  vessel  that  has  been 

655  seized  without  legitimate  ground  of  suspicion,  or  subjected  to  an- 

656  noyauce,  shall  have  the  right  of  claiming  damages,  the  amount  of 

657  which  shall  be  fixed  by  agreement  between  the  Governments 

658  directly  interested,  or  by  arbitration,  and  shall  be  paid  within  a 

659  period  of  six  months  from  the  date  of  the  judgment  acquitting 

660  the  captured  vessel. 

661  Article  LIX. 

662  In  case  of  condemnation,  the  sequestered  vessel  shall  be  de- 

663  dared  lawfully  seized  for  the  benefit  of  the  captor. 

664  The  captain,  crew,  and  all  other  persons  found  guilty  shall  be 

665  punished  according  to  the  gravity  of  the  crimes  or  offences  corn- 

666  mitted  by  them,  and  in  accordance  with  Article  V. 

667  Article  LX. 

668  The  provisions  of  Articles  L to  LIX  do  not  in  any  way  affect 

669  the  jurisdiction  or  procedure  of  existing  special  tribunals,  or  of 


\A 


23 


670 

671 

672 

673 

674 

675 

676 

677 

678 

679 

680 
681 
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683 

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697 

698 

699 

700 

701 

702 


such  as  may  hereafter  he  formed  to  take  cognizance  of  offences 
connected  with  the  slave-trade. 

Article  LXI. 

The  high  contracting  parties  engage  to  make  known  to  each 
other,  reciprocally,  the  instructions  which  they  shall  give,  for  the 
execution  of  the  provisions  of  Chapter  III,  to  the  commanders  of 
their  men-of-war  navigating  the  seas  of  the  zone  referred  to. 

Chapter  IV.  Countries  to  which  slaves  are  sent , whose  insti- 
tutions recognize  the  existence  of  domestic  slavery. 

Article  LXI1. 

The  contracting  powers  whose  institutions  recognize  the  exist- 
ence of  domestic  slavery,  and  whose  possessions,  in  consequence 
thereof,  in  or  out  of  Africa,  serve,  in  spite  of  the  vigilance  of  the 
authorities,  as  places  of  destination  for  African  slaves,  pledge 
themselves  to  prohibit  their  importation,  transit,  and  departure, 
as  well  as  the  trade  in  slaves.  The  most  active  and  the  strictest 
supervision  "shall  be  enforced  at  all  places  where  the  arrival,  tran- 
sit, and  departure  of  African  slaves  take  place. 

Article  LXIII. 

Slaves  set  free  under  the  provisions  of  the  preceding  article  shall, 
if  circumstances  permit,  be  sent  back  to  the  country  from  whence 
they  came.  In  all  cases  they  shall  receive  letters  of  liberation  from 
the  competent  authorities,  and  shall  be  entitled  to  their  protection 
and  assistance  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  means  of  subsistence* 

Article  LXIY. 

Any  fugitive  slave  arriving  at  the  frontier  of  any  of  the  powers 
mentioned  in  Article  LXII  shall  be  considered  free,  and  shall  have 
the  right  to  claim  letters  of  release  from  the  competent  authorities. 

Article  LXY. 

Any  sale  or  transaction  to  which  the  slaves  referred  to  in  Ar- 
ticles LXIII  and  LXIY  may  have  been  subjected  through  circum- 
stances of  any  kind  whatsoever,  shall  be  considered  as  null  and 
void. 


Article  LXYI. 

Native  vessels  carrying  the  flag  of  one  of  the  countries  men- 
tioned in  Article  LXII,  if  there  is  any  indication  that  they  are 
employed  in  operations  connected  with  the  slave-trade,  shall  be 
subjected  by  the  local  authorities  in  the  ports  frequented  by  them 
to  a strict  examination  of  their  crews  and  passengers  both  on  ar- 
rival and  departure.  If  African  slaves  are  found  on  board,  judi- 
cial proceedings  shall  be  instituted  agaiust  the  vessel  and  against 
all  persons  who  may  be  implicated.  Slaves  found  on  board  shall 
receive  letters  of  release  through  the  authorities  who  have  seized 
the  vessels. 


714  Article  LXVII. 

715  Penal  provisions  similar  to  those  provided  for  by  Article  V shall 

716  be  enacted  against  persons  importing,  transporting,  and  trading 

717  in  African  slaves,  against  the  mutilators  of  children  or  of  male 

718  adults,  and  those  who  traffic  in  them,  as  well  as  against  their 

719  associates  and  accomplices. 


720  Article  LXYIII. 

721  The  signatory  powers  recognize  the  great  importance  of  the  law 

722  respecting  the  prohibition  of  the  slave-trade  sanctioned  by  JJis- 

723  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the  Ottomans  of  the  4th  (16th)  of  Decem- 

724  ber,  1889  (22  Rebi-ul-Abir,  1307),  and  they  are  assured  that  an 

725  active  surveillance  will  be  organized  by  the  Ottoman  authorities* 

726  especially  on  the  west  coast  of  Arabia  and  on  the  routes  which 

727  place  that  coast  in  communication  with  the  other  possessions  of 

728  His  Imperial  Majesty  in  Asia. 


729  Article  LXIX. 

730  His  Majesty  the  Shah  of  Persia  consents  to  organize  an  active 

731  surveillance  in  the  territorial  waters  and  those  otf  the  coast  of  the 

732  Persian  Gulf  and  Gulf  of  Oman  which  are  under  his  sovereignty* 

733  and  on  the  island  routes  which  serve  for  the  transportation  of 

734  slaves.  The  magistrates  and  other  authorities  shall,  to  this  effect* 

735  receive  the  necessary  powers. 

736  Article  LXX. 

737  His  Highness  the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar,  consents  to  give  his  most 

738  effective  support  to  the  repression  of  crimes  and  offences  commit- 


739  ted  by  African  slave-traders  on  land  as  well  as  at  sea.  The  tri- 

740  buuals  created  for  this  purpose  in  the  Sultanate  of  Zauzibar  shall 

741  rigorously  enforce  the  penal  provisions  mentioned  in  Article  V. 

742  In  order  to  render  more  secure  the  freedom  of  liberated  slaves, 

743  both  in  virtue  of  the  provisions  of  the  present  general  act  and  of 

744  the  decrees  adopted  in  this  matter  by  his  highness  and  his  prede- 

745  cessors,  a liberation  office  shall  be  established  at  Zanzibar. 

746  Article  LXXI. 

747  Diplomatic  and  consular  agents  and  the  naval  officers  of  the 

748  contracting  powers  shall,  within  the  limits  of  existing  conventions, 

749  give  their  assistance  to  the  local  authorities  in  order  to  assist  in 

750  repressing  the  slave-trade  where  it  still  exists.  They  shall  be 

751  entitled  to  be  present  at  trials  for  slave-trading  brought  about  at 

752  their  instance,  without,  however,  being  entitled  to  take  part  in 

753  the  deliberations. 

754  Article  LXXII. 

755  Liberation  offices,  or  institutions  in  lieu  thereof,  shall  be  organ- 

756  ized  by  the  governments  of  the  countries  to  which  African  slaves 

757  are  sar>f  for  the  purposes  specified  by  Article  XVIII. 


759  The  signatory  powers  having  undertaken  to  communicate  to 
T60  each  other  all  information  useful  for  the  repression  of  the  slave- 

761  trade,  the  Governments  whom  the  present  chapter  concerns  shall 

762  periodically  exchauge  with  the  other  Governments  statistical  data 

763  relating  to  slaves  intercepted  and  liberated,  and  to  the  legislative 

764  and  administrative  measures  which  have  been  taken  for  suppress- 

765  ing  the  slave-trade. 

766  Chapter  Y.  Institutions  intended  to  insure  the  execution  of  the 

767  general  act. 

768  Section  1.  Of  the  international  maritime  office. 


771  national  office  shall  be  instituted  at  Zanzibar,  iu  which  each  of 

772  the  signatory  powers  may  be  represented  by  a delegate. 


758 


Article  LXXIII. 


769 


Article  LXXIY. 


773 

774 

775 

776 

777 

778 

779 

780 

781 

782 

783 

784 

785 

786 

787 

788 

789 

790 

791 

792 

793 

794 

795 

796 

797 

798 

799 

800 

801 

802 

803 

804 

805 

806 

807 


26 


Article  LXXV. 

The  office  shall  be  constituted  as  soon  as  three  powers  have  ap- 
pointed their  representatives. 

It  shall  draw  up  regulations  fixing  the  manner  of  exercising  its 
functions.  These  regulations  shall  immediately  be  submitted  to 
the  approval  of  such  signatory  powers  as  shall  have  signified  their 
intention  of  being  represented  in  this  office.  They  shall  decide 
as  to  their  intention  within  the  shortest  possible  time. 

Article  LXXVI. 

The  expenses  of  this  institution  shall  be  divided  in  equal  parts 
among  the  signatory  powers  mentioned  in  the  preceding  article. 

Article  LXXVI  I. 

The  object  of  the  office  at  Zanzibar  shall  be  to  centralize  all 
documents  and  information  of  a nature  to  facilitate  the  repression 
of  the  slave-trade  in  the  maritime  zone.  For  this  purpose  the 
signatory  powers  engage  to  forward  within  the  shortest  time  pos- 
sible— 

1.  The  documents  specified  iu  Article  XLI. 

2.  Summaries  of  the  reports  and  copies  of  the  minutes  referred 
to  in  Article  XL VIII. 

3.  The  list  of  the  territorial  or  consular  authorities  and  special 
delegates  competent  to  take  action  as  regards  vessels  seized  ac- 
cording to  the  terms  of  Article  XLIX. 

4.  Copies  of  judgments  and  condemnations  in  accordance  with 
Article  LVIII. 

5.  All  information  that  may  lead  to  the  discovery  of  persons 
engaged  in  the  slave-trade  in  the  above  mentioned  zone. 

Article  LXXVIII. 

The  archives  of  the  office  shall  always  be  open  to  the  naval 
officers  of  the  signatory  powers  authorized  to  act  within  the 
limits  of  the  zone  defined  by  Article  XXI,  as  well  as  to  the  ter- 
ritorial or  judicial  authorities,  and  to  consuls  specially  appointed 
for  that  purpose  by  their  Governments. 

The  office  shall  supply  to  foreign  officers  and  agents  authorized 
to  consult  its  archives,  translations  into  a European  language  of 


808 

809 

810 

811 

812 

813 

814 

815 

816 

817 

818 

819 

820 

821 

822 

823 

824 

825 

826 

827 

828 

829 

830 

831 

832 

833 

834 

835 

836 

837 

838 

839 

840 

841 

842 


27 


documents  written  in  an  Oriental  language.  It  shall  make  the 
communications  provided  for  in  Article  XL VIII. 

Article  LXXIX. 

Auxiliary  offices  in  communication  with  the  office  at  Zanzibar 
may  be  established  iu  certain  parts  of  the  zone,  in  pursuance  of  a 
previous  agreement  between  the  interested  powers. 

They  shall  be  composed  of  delegates  of  these  powers,  and  es- 
tablished in  accordance  with  Articles  LXXV,  LXXVI,  and 
LXXVIII. 

The  documents  and  information  specified  in  Article  LXXVII, 
so  far  as  they  may  relate  to  a part  of  the  zone  specially  concerned, 
shall  be  sent  to  them  direct  by  the  territorial  and  consular  au- 
thorities of  the  region  in  question,  but  this  shall  not  exempt  the 
latter  from  the  duty  of  communicating  the  same  to  the  office  at 
Zanzibar,  as  provided  by  the  same  article. 

Article  LXXX. 

The  office  at  Zanzibar  shall  prepare  iu  the  first  two  months  of 
every  year,  a report  of  its  own  operations,  and  those  of  the  auxil- 
iary offices,  during  the  past  twelve  months. 

Section  II.  Of  the  exchange  between  the  Governments  of  documents  and  informa- 
tion relating  to  the  slave-trade. 

Article  LXXXI. 

The  powers  shall  communicate  to  each  other,  to  the  fullest 
extent  and  with  the  least  delay  that  they  shall  consider  possi- 
ble— 

1.  The  text  of  the  laws  and  administrative  regulations,  exist- 
ing or  enacted,  by  application  of  the  clauses  of  the  present  gen- 
eral act. 

2.  Statistical  information  concerning  the  slave  trade,  slaves 
arrested  and  liberated,  and  the  traffic  in  fire-arms,  ammunition, 
and  alcoholic  liquors. 

Article  LXXXII. 

The  exchange  of  these  documents,  aud  information  concerning 
them,  shall  be  centralized  in  a special  office  attached  to  the  for- 
eign office  at  Brussels. 


28 


843  Article  LXXXIII. 

844  The  office  at  Zanzibar  shall  forward  to  it  every  year  the  report 

845  mentioned  in  Article  LXXX,  concerning  its  operations  during 

846  the  past  year,  and  concerning  those  of  the  auxiliary  offices  that 

847  may  have  been  established  in  accordance  with  Article  LXXIX. 

848  Article  LXXXIY. 

849  The  documents  and  information  shall  be  collected  and  published 

850  periodically,  and  addressed  to  all  the  signatory  powers.  This 

851  publication  shall  be  accompanied  every  year  by  an  analytical 

852  table  of  the  legislative,  administrative,  and  statistical  documents 

853  mentioned  in  Articles  LXXXI  and  LXXXIII. 

854  Article  LXXXY. 

855  The  office  expenses  as  well  as  those  incurred  in  correspondence* 

856  translation,  and  printing,  shall  be  shared  by  all  the  signatory 

857  powers,  and  shall  be  collected  through  the  agency  of  the  depart- 

858  ment  of  the  foreign  office  at  Brussels. 

859  Section  III.  Of  the  protection  of  liberated  slaves. 

860  Article  LXXXYI. 

861  The  signatory  powers  having  recognized  the  duty  of  protecting 

862  liberated  slaves  in  their  respective  possessions,  engage  to  estab- 

863  lish,  if  they  do  not  already  exist,  in  the  ports  of  the  zone  deter - 

864  mined  by  Article  XXI,  and  in  such  parts  of  their  said  possessions 

865  as  may  be  places  for  the  capture,  passage,  and  arrival  of  African 

866  slaves,  such  offices  and  institutions  as  may  be  deemed  sufficient 

867  by  them,  whose  business  shall  specially  consist  in  liberating  and 

868  protecting  them  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  Articles  VI, 

869  XVIII,  LII,  LX  III,  and  LXYI. 

870  Article  LXXXYII. 

871  The  liberation  offices  or  the  authorities  charged  with  this  serv- 

872  ice  shall  deliver  letters  of  release  and  shall  keep  a register 

873  thereof. 

874  In  case  of  the  denunciation  of  an  act  connected  with  the  slave- 

875  trade,  or  one  of  illegal  detention,  or  on  application  of  the  slaves 

876  themselves,  the  said  offices  or  authorities  shall  exercise  all  neces- 


29 


877  sary  diligence  to  insure  the  release  of  the  slaves  and  the  puuish- 

878  rnent  of  the  offenders. 

879  The  delivery  of  letters  of  release  shall  in  no  case  be  delayed  if 

880  the  slave  be  accused  of  a crime  or  offence  against  the  common 

881  law.  Bnt  after  the  delivery  of  the  said  letters  an  investigation 

882  shall  be  proceeded  with  in  the  form  established  by  the  ordinary 

883  procedure. 

884  Article  LXXXYIII. 

885  The  signatory  powers  shall  favour,  in  their  possessions,  the  foun- 

886  dation  of  establishments  of  refuge  for  women  and  of  education 

887  for  liberated  children. 

888  Article  LXXXIX. 

889  Freed  slaves  may  always  apply  to  the  offices  for  protection  in 

890  the  enjoyment  of  their  freedom.  Whoever  shall  have  used  fraud- 

891  ulent  or  violent  means  to  deprive  a freed  slave  of  his  letters  of 

892  release  or  of  his  liberty,  shall  be  considered  as  a slave-dealer. 

893  Chapter  YI.  Measures  to  restrict  the  traffic  in  spirituous  liquors. 

894  Article  XC. 

895  Being  justly  anxious  concerning  the  moral  and  material  couse- 

896  quences  to  which  the  abuse  of  spirituous  liquors  subjects  the 

897  native  population,  the  signatory  powers  have  agreed  to  enforce 

898  the  provisions  of  Articles  XC1,  XC1I,  and  XCIII,  within  a zone 

899  extending  from  the  20th  degree  of  Xorth  latitude  to  the  22d  de- 

900  gree  of  South  latitude,  and  bounded  on  die  west  by  the  Atlantic 

901  Ocean  and  on  the  east  by  the  Indian  Ocean  and  its  dependencies, 

902  including  the  islands  adjacent  to  the  mainland  within  100  nauti- 

903  cal  miles  from  the  coast. 


904  Article  XCI. 

905  In  the  districts  of  this  zone  where  it  shall  be  ascertained  that, 

906  either  on  account  of  religious  belief  or  from  some*  other  causes, 

907  the  use  of  distilled  liquors  does  not  exist  or  has  not  been  devel- 

908  oped,  the  powers  shall  prohibit  their  importation.  The  manufac- 

: 909  ture  of  distilled  liquors  shall  be  likewise  prohibited  there. 

910  Each  power  shall  determine  the  limits  of  the  zone  of  prohibition 
' ~ 911  of  alcoholic  liquors  in  its  possessions  or  protectorates,  and  shall  be 
y 912  bound  to  make  known  the  limits  thereof  to  the  other  powers  within 


913  the  space  of  six  mouths.  The  above  prohibition  can  only  be  sus- 

914  pended  in  the  case  of  limited  quantities  intended  for  the  consump- 

915  tion  of  the  non-native  population  and  imported  under  the  regime 

916  and  conditions  determined  by  each  Government. 

917  Article  XC1I. 

918  The  powers  having  possessions  or  exercising  protectorates  in 

919  those  regions  of  the  zone  which  are  not  subjected  to  the  regime  of 

920  the  prohibition,  and  into  which  alcoholic  liquors  are  at  present 

921  either  freely  imported  or  pay  an  import  duty  of  less  than  15  francs 

922  per  hectolitre  at  50  degrees  centigrade,  engage  to  levy  on  such 

923  alcoholic  liquors  an  import  duty  of  15  francs  per  hectolitre  at  50 

924  degrees  centigrade,  for  three  years  after  the  present  general  act 

925  comes  into  force.  At  the  expiration  of  this  period  the  duty  may  be 

926  increased  to  25  francs  during  a fresh  period  of  three  years.  At 

927  the  end  of  the  sixth  year  it  shall  be  submitted  to  revision,  the 

928  average  results  produced  by  these  tariffs  being  taken  as  a basis, 

929  for  the  purpose  of  then  fixing,  if  possible,  a minimum  duty  through- 

930  out  the  whole  extent  of  the  zone  where  the  prohibition  referred  to 

931  in  Article  XCI  is  not  in  force. 

932  The  powers  retain  the  right  of  maintaining  and  increasing 

933  the  duties  beyond  the  minimum  fixed  by  the  present  article  in 

934  those  regions  where  they  already  possess  that  right. 

933  Article  XCIII. 

936  Distilled  liquors  manufactured  in  the  regions  referred  to  in 

937  Article  XCI1,  and  intended  for  inland  consumption,  shall  be  sub- 

938  ject  to  an  excise  duty. 

939  This  excise  duty,  the  collection  of  which  the  powers  engage  to 

940  secure  as  far  as  possible,  shall  not  be  less  than  the  minimum  im- 

941  port  duty  fixed  by  Article  XCII. 

912  Article  XCIV. 

943  The  Signatory  powers  having  possessions  in  Africa  contiguous 

944  to  the  zoue  specified  in  Article  XC,  engage  to  adopt  the  necessary 

945  measures  for  preventing  the  introduction  of  spirituous  liquors 

946  within  the  territories  of  the  said  zone  via  their  inland  frontiers. 

947  Article  XCV. 

948  The  powers  shall  communicate  to  each  other,  through  the  office 

949  at  Brussels,  and  according  to  the  terms  of  Chapter  Y,  information 


950 

951 

952 

953 

954 

955 

956 

957 

958 

959 

960 

961 

962 

963 

964 

965 

966 

967 

963 

969 

970 

971 

972 

973 

974 

975 

976 

977 

k 

978 

979 

980 

98  L 

982 

983 

984 

985 

986 


31 


relating  to  the  traffic  in  alcolioiic  liquors  within  their  respective 
territories. 

Chapter  VII.  Final  provisions. 

Article  XCVI. 

The  present  general  act  repeals  all  contrary  stipulations  of  con- 
ventions previously  concluded  between  the  signatory  powers. 

Article  XCVII. 

The  signatory  powers,  without  prejudice  to  the  stipulations 
contained  in  Articles  XIV,  XXII,  and  XCII,  reserve  the  right 
of  introducing  into  the  present  general  act,  hereafter  and  by 
common  consent,  such  modifications  or  improvements  as  experi- 
ence may  prove  to  be  useful. 

Article  XCVIII. 

Powers  who  have  not  signed  the  present  general  act  shall  be 
allowed  to  adhere  to  it. 

The  signatory  powers  reserve  the  right  to  impose  such  condi- 
tions as  they  may  deem  necessary  to  their  adhesion. 

If  no  conditions  shall  be  stipulated,  adhesion  implies  accept- 
ance of  all  the  obligations  and  admission  to  all  the  advantages 
stipulated  by  the  present  general  act. 

The  powers  shall  agree  among  themselves  as  to  the  steps  to  be 
taken  to  secure  the  adhesion  of  states  whose  cooperation  may  be 
necessary  or  useful  in  order  to  insure  complete  execution  of  the 
general  act. 

Adhesion  shall  be  effected  by  a separate  act.  Notice  thereof 
shall  be  given  through  the  diplomatic  channel  to  the  Government 
of  the  King  of  the  Belgians,  and  by  that  Government  to  all  the 
signatory  and  adherent  states. 

Article  XCIX. 

The  present  general  act  shall  be  ratified  within  the  shortest 
possible  period,  which  shall  not  in  any  case  exceed  one  year. 

Each  power  shall  address  its  ratification  to  the  Government  of 
the  King  of  the  Belgians,  which  shall  give  notice  thereof  to  all 
the  other  powers  that  have  signed  the  present  general  act. 

The  ratifications  of  all  the  powers  shall  remain  deposited  in 
the  archives  of  the  Kingdom  of  Belgium. 

As  soon  as  all  the  ratifications  shall  have  been  furnished,  or 


987 

988 

989 

990 

991 

992 

993 

994 

995 

996 

997 

998 

999 

1000 

1001 

1002 

1003 

1004 

1005 

1006 

1007 

1008 

1009 

1010 

1011 

1012 

1013 

1014 

1015 

1016 

1017 

1018 

1019 

1020 

1021 

1022 

1023 

1024 

1025 

i026 


32 


at  the  latest  one  year  after  the  signature  of  the  present  general 
act,  their  delivery  shall  be  recorded  in  a protocol  which  shall  be 
signed  by  the  representatives  of  all  the  powers  that  have  ratified. 

A certified  copy  of  this  protocol  shall  be  forwarded  to  all  the 
powers  interested. 


The  present  sreueral  act  shall  come  into  force  in  all  the  pos- 
sessions of  the  contracting  powers  on  the  sixtieth  day,  reckoned 
from  the  day  on  which  the  protocol  provided  for  in  the  preceding 
article  shall  have  been  drawn  up. 

In  witness  whereof  the  respective  plenipotentiaries  have 
signed  the  present  general  act,  and  have  thereto  affixed  their 
seals. 

Done  at  Brussels  the  2nd  day  of  the  month  of  July,  1890. 
[seal]  Ke win  H.  Terrell  ] 


Article  C. 


[seal]  IJ.  S.  Sanford. 

[seal]  ^f?YENSLEBEN. 

[SEAL)  (rOEHRING.  J "-C\  V*yfiW 

[seal]  E.  Khevenhuller.  ' jr 

[SEAL]  i AMBERMONT. 

[seal]  E.  Banning. 

[seal]  S ;,hack  de  Brockdorff. 

[seal]  J G.  de  Aguera. 

[seal]  Edm.  van  Eetvelde.  \ ’ r " 

[SEAL]  A.  VAN  MALDEGHEM.  J 

[seal,]  Bouree. 

[seal]  G Cogordan. 

[seal]  Vivian.  ! ,! 

[seal]  J ohn  Kirk. 

[seal]  1 . de  Renzis.  / ’ i 

[seal]  3 Catalani. 

[SEAL]  J (tERICKE.  -1/'  w /;  / 

[SEAL]  1 1ZARE  AGA.  'O'  ■ 

[SEAL]  K ENRIQUE  DE  MACEDO  PEREIRA  COUTINHO. 

[SEAL]  T OUROUSSOFF.  . A J ‘ ‘ v 

[seal]  Martens. 

[seal]  E IJRENSTAM.  ‘ 'A 

[seal]  El  Caratheodory. 

[seal]  John  Kirk. 

[seal]  (Behring.  J j) 


/ 


.1'  v '•  ' 


